By Abbas Nazil
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on federal and state governments to place environmental justice at the centre of public policy, demanding stricter accountability for corporate polluters and stronger action to address the growing impacts of climate change across Nigeria.
The organisation made the call in a statement issued to commemorate the 2026 World Environment Day, observed under the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”
CAPPA said Nigeria’s environmental crisis has become a daily reality for millions of citizens whose health, livelihoods and future prospects are threatened by pollution, ecological degradation, climate-related disasters and weak regulatory enforcement.
Reaffirming its commitment to climate justice, environmental accountability and inclusive climate governance across Africa, the organisation urged governments at all levels to protect vulnerable communities and ensure that those responsible for environmental damage bear the full cost of restoration and compensation.
The group expressed concern over reports that multinational oil company Shell continued transporting crude oil through pipelines in the Niger Delta despite longstanding evidence, including reports from its own personnel, indicating that such operations have contributed to environmental pollution and ecological damage in the region.
According to CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, communities in the Niger Delta have endured decades of oil spills, contaminated water sources, damaged farmlands, destroyed fisheries and loss of livelihoods.
He stressed that environmental accountability should not remain optional, arguing that companies benefiting from natural resource extraction must also accept responsibility for the environmental and social consequences of their activities.
Oluwafemi called on regulatory agencies to ensure comprehensive remediation of polluted sites, transparent environmental monitoring processes and adequate compensation for affected communities.
The organisation also expressed concern over the slow implementation of recommendations contained in the landmark United Nations Environment Programme assessment of oil pollution in Ogoniland, more than a decade after the report was released.
According to CAPPA, the pace of environmental restoration in affected communities remains inadequate and sends a troubling message that environmental damage can persist without meaningful consequences for those responsible.
The group noted that many communities continue to live with contaminated soil, polluted water sources, damaged livelihoods and long-term health risks associated with environmental pollution.
CAPPA further highlighted the worsening situation in the coastal communities of Ayetoro and Abereke in Ondo State, where residents face severe coastal erosion, flooding, sea incursion and displacement.
The organisation described Ayetoro as one of Nigeria’s most visible examples of environmental neglect, noting that the once-thriving fishing community has steadily lost homes, schools, religious centres and public infrastructure to advancing ocean waters.
Associate Director and Head of Climate Change and Extractives at CAPPA, Olamide Martins Ogunlade, said the continued vulnerability of coastal communities reflects the failure of successive governments to implement long-promised shoreline protection and climate adaptation measures.
He urged the Federal Government, Ondo State Government and relevant agencies to urgently execute sustainable coastal protection projects and climate adaptation programmes capable of safeguarding lives and livelihoods.
CAPPA also warned that climate change is increasingly intensifying resource-based conflicts, including recurring clashes between herders and farming communities in parts of northern Nigeria.
According to the organisation, climate change has evolved beyond an environmental challenge and now poses serious threats to food security, public health, livelihoods, peace and national security.
The group therefore called for increased investment in climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable land management, water conservation initiatives and conflict-sensitive adaptation programmes.
CAPPA further cautioned against climate governance systems being influenced by powerful commercial and political interests that prioritise market expansion and extractive economic models over ecological sustainability and social justice.
The organisation raised concerns about the growing reliance on carbon markets and offset-based climate frameworks, arguing that such mechanisms could undermine transparency, weaken environmental integrity and place additional burdens on vulnerable communities.
It called on governments and stakeholders to promote transparent, accountable and people-centred environmental governance while strengthening environmental laws, investing in climate adaptation and ensuring that corporations responsible for environmental destruction are held fully accountable for remediation, restoration and compensation.
According to CAPPA, environmental justice requires more than expressions of sympathy for affected communities and must be backed by concrete actions that protect citizens, restore damaged ecosystems and hold polluters accountable for the consequences of their activities.
